Chapter 2 – The Spawning
With a fairly obvious 'old man grunt,' I set a crate down on the packed, earthen floor of the storage room, supporting my hips with my hands as I leaned back to try and stretch. There was a satisfying pop in my back and I winced before stretching out my neck as I turned and stepped out of the small shack.
"Anna! That was the last box!" I called.
"Okay!" came her response. "Why don't you take a break and man the store for a little while?"
I snickered a little and shook my head at her concept of what a 'break' was. I stepped out into the warm Ylissean sunlight, instantly surrounded by the noise of the nearby marketplace as I closed and carefully locked the storehouse. The yard was fenced off, but it never hurt to be too careful.
The war had been over for a few months now, and, after resigning my military commission, Anna and I had retired and opened a small general store in Ylisstol.
The store was fairly huge by local standards, but it really wasn't much bigger than a small corner store back home. Most of the space was taken up by the storage room in the back where we kept the special orders and imports, the lifeblood of the store. The front area was a counter and some shelves of miscellanea that Anna changed up whenever the mood struck her. One day we could have racks of the latest jackets from Valm, the next day we could be stocking samples of preserves from some orchard in the south, the day after that we'd have skin lotions and other cosmetics… there was no picking it. Anna had a preternatural sense for what would sell on any given day, and I'd quickly learned to just do as I was told.
Now, I hear you asking, why open something a vague as a 'general store' in an already established market? Two reasons: one, Anna could source things that the other merchants in the city couldn't, thanks to her family's connections, and two, she was an Anna, and an absolute dominating force in the markets already.
Textiles from Valm, curios from Chon'sin, spices from Plegia, contracts for lumber from Regna Ferox… it was at the stage that I didn't even know what went on around here anymore, I just did as I was told. Case in point, I had literally zero idea what was in the boxes I just put in the storehouse. Anna was the brains of the operation; I just did the heavy lifting.
Which, I thought as I stepped through the packed storage area and into the shop itself, left the final piece of our little puzzle; the shopkeeper…
"Here's your roll of fabric from Chon'sin," the young blonde girl said with a wide smile. "I'm sure that the Lady Duchess of Midland will love the dress you make with this."
One of Ylisstol's pre-eminent dressmakers smiled and nodded, placing a frankly absurdly high amount of coins on the countertop. A little more banter passed between them, before the dressmaker left and the girl scooped the coins into a lockbox under the counter.
"Afternoon, Thundercat," I greeted, sauntering into the store.
"Ah! Mister Ben!" our assistant shopkeeper, Elle, said, spinning and frowning at me. "How many times have I told you not to call me that?"
"As many times as I've ignored you, I guess," I grinned back. "Thanks for dealing with Ricardo. I can't stand those poncey noble-types."
Elle huffed, crossing her arms under her meagre bust and leaning against the counter.
"Last I heard, you were technically one of those 'poncey noble-types', too," Elle pointed out.
"Lies and slander," I chuckled. "I just sell stuff to Chrom and his upper crust buddies. Pays more than actually being nobility."
"Ugh, you're even starting to sound like Miss Anna," the girl said, making a sour face.
"Hey, that is my wife and your boss you're talking smack about," I said, chuckling as I jumped up to sit on the counter. "Show a little respect-"
"You get your ass off my counter right now, mister!"
I yelped and jumped off the countertop like my arse was on fire, spinning and smiling apologetically as my wife came down the stairs from the upper floor offices and living quarters. She wore a more casual version of her travelling clothes, a red blouse over black cotton pants, and her frown could have melted steel.
"Sorry, dear," I chuckled awkwardly.
"Ooh, somebody got in trouble," Elle sing-songed under her breath, just loud enough for me to know she wanted me to hear it.
Anna stalked toward me until we were basically chest to chest, frowning up at me as I tried to look innocent. She sighed, reaching up and patting me on the cheek a few times…
"You're lucky you're pretty," she said with a small smirk.
… before yanking hard on my ear.
"But keep your ass off my countertop," she said, her tone icy.
"Argh! Yes dear! Sorry dear! I love you, dear!" I cried as she yanked my head down.
She released me, all smiles and rainbows again. Elle had her back to us, desperately trying to look like she wasn't silently laughing at me. Anna smiled and planted a kiss on my cheek, wrapping her arms around my middle in a warm hug.
"And that's for getting all that stock put away so fast," she said, resting her head on my shoulder.
"You know I'm all sweaty and gross, yeah?" I chuckled, returning the embrace.
"Mm, I like your smell, though," Anna sighed.
"Oh gods, you two are gross," Elle gagged.
"You puke in our store it comes out of your pay-cheque!" I snapped over my shoulder.
Anna giggled, planting another kiss on my jaw.
"I knew I loved you for a reason."
I had to admit, it still felt a little weird being married.
The sounds of the marketplace below us had been replaced with the distant cacophony of taverns and drunks a few streets over, and I leaned against the window sill, enjoying the night breeze and watching as Anna brushed her hair out for bed.
I know I say it a lot, but there's something oddly intimate about getting to watch someone preparing for bed. More than in a sexual way, too. Think about it; even when you do, like, group sleeping things like parties when you're in your teens, or you crash on someone's couch as an adult, you still think carefully about how you present yourself, even about what you sleep in. Even if it's only subconsciously, it happens. But when you're married, all bets are off. It had only been a few months, but I'd been reminded almost immediately what it was like to live with a woman. We'd already gone from slinky, sheer nighties to wearing one of my old shirts to bed. And when I say 'one of my old shirts', I mean one that looked like I'd dragged it through Plegia and back. Not to mention all the burping and farting and menstruating and all that other crap women will hide from you until they manage to hook you.
Still, though, it's a sign of trust. Showing your partner a side that they wouldn't show to anyone else.
Maybe it only felt weird because, to this day, we hadn't talked about our pasts. Where we're from. What our families were like. Everything was full-speed ahead making this life for ourselves.
Well then. No time like the present…
"So, I'm actually from a different world," I said.
Anna's brush froze mid-stroke before she glanced back at me with a small grin.
"Would it bother you if I was, too?" she asked.
I blinked a few times, waiting for her statement to register.
"What?" I managed eloquently.
"I mean, my family started in Archanea, but I was born somewhere else," Anna shrugged.
"Where is 'somewhere else'?" I asked curiously.
Anna glanced back at me with a more playful grin this time.
"You first, mister outlander," she said.
I shrugged. "Okay, here goes… I'm from a world called Earth, where all of this was a video game; a piece of fiction. I have no idea how or why I ended up in Ylisse, but I spent two years writing literally a million words of fanfiction for this story, so that's where my precognizance comes from. Oh, but I didn't use any of that to get on your good side or anything. I'm not that much of a prick."
This time, Anna's brush hit the floor as she whirled to face me.
"Wait… you're… from a world where this is all fiction?" she asked.
"Yup," I said, wilting a little. "Weirded me out at first, too."
"No, I mean… I was born in Tellius," Anna said, her tone wavering a little. "Does that name…?"
"Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, video game released for the Nintendo GameCube back in 2005, the first home console Fire Emblem game since Kaga left Intelligent Systems after Thracia 776 flopped," I rattled off. "Path of Radiance took place on the Tellius continent, and followed the story of Ike and his band of mercenaries as they helped the Princess of the kingdom Crimea to reclaim her throne after it was stolen by the neighboring country of Daein. It was a little heavy-handed about the whole racial politics issue, though, in my humble opinion."
Anna goggled at me for a moment, her mouth actually hanging open.
"You're… you're a Progenitor," she said slowly. "You're actually from the Keystone world… you're…"
"Uh, really not all that special myself…" I said awkwardly.
Anna shook her head, shakily rising to her feet. "You don't understand! My family can get to any other world! Any other world in the multiverse except the original world! The Keystone world is the one that all others are born from!"
"So that means…?" I prompted.
Anna's eyes lit up, a wide, victorious grin rising to her face.
"So that means I bagged me a Progenitor!" she laughed, throwing herself at me and wrapping her arms around the back of my neck before planting a big kiss on my lips. "My cousins are going to freak! Ah! My whole family's going to be so jealous! I can't believe this! I knew you were special!"
I blinked in confusion for a few moments as I hugged Anna back, my wife laughing almost deliriously as she clung to me, raining kisses on my face and neck.
"Anna, I swear if you go crazy because I told you this…" I muttered.
"I'm not crazy," she promised, leaning back to smile up at me. "My whole family knows about using the Outrealm Gates to access the multiverse. How do you think I even got here?"
"Okay, great! Does that mean we can go to my home-world?" I asked hopefully.
Anna shook her head, before calming and resting it against my shoulder again.
"No, like I said, that's the only one we can't reach," she said apologetically, giving me a comforting squeeze.
"Ugh," I groaned. "Well, it's a step closer than I was five minutes ago. So. Tellius, huh? No Laguz in you?"
"No, sorry," Anna laughed. "No cat ears for you here."
"Damn," I muttered.
"Although, if you really want me to purr for you…" Anna chuckled off, nuzzling beneath my jaw.
I was suddenly aware of the fact that my very hot wife was pressed up against me, wearing naught but one of my old beat-around shirts and a pair of panties. A… surprisingly modern looking pair of panties.
I leaned down, tugging the bottom of my old shirt up to get a better look. Anna yelped, but didn't try to stop me.
"If you're looking for a tail, I'm telling you, there's no Laguz in my family," Anna huffed.
"I'm wondering where you got elastic-waisted underwear from, actually," I said mildly, snapping the waistband of the plain cotton panties for emphasis. "And how long you were planning on holding out on me."
"You… want me to order you some panties?" Anna asked slowly.
"Boxer shorts would be preferable, sweetie," I chuckled, leaning back up and stroking her face. "You know, you're lucky you're pretty."
"Whew, you had me worried there for a minute," Anna chuckled. "I was afraid I'd just learned something scary about you."
"Actually, I do have a real question…" I said after a moment of thought. "How old are you, anyway?"
Anna giggled against me, relaxing into my shoulder.
"You know, it's rude to ask a woman how old they are," she said.
"I would like to know the age of my wife," I deadpanned. "I just turned twenty-four, myself."
Anna's breath hitched, and she froze against me. I leaned back, looking down at her shocked expression.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked.
"You're… you're younger than me!?" she shrieked.
"What!?" I snapped back. "There's… you can't be any older than twenty!"
"I'm twenty-six!" Anna said, her voice hollow. "I… I thought you were at least thirty…"
"Oh for… story of my life!" I groaned, letting my head fall back against the wall.
True, I did look much older than I actually am, but… Anna really did look like she was barely out of her teens. We stood there in silence for a moment before I started to chuckle.
"What's so funny, mister?" Anna said, her tone carrying an unspoken warning.
"I just told you I'm an interdimensional traveler from a far advanced race, and you don't bat an eyelash," I snickered. "But reveal that you're a cradle snatcher and you lose your-"
"It's only two years! I'm not a cradle snatcher!" Anna shouted, batting at my chest with one fist as I held her around the waist. "It's not my fault you act like an old man!"
"Should I start calling you 'onee-chan'?" I laughed, leaning back slightly to keep my face out of range. "Or 'Mommy'?"
Anna froze, actually shuddering in my arms.
"Yeah, okay, sorry, crossed a line there," I said, before pointedly gagging at my own joke.
Anna stepped out of my arms, frowning up at me as I grinned.
"You're a real jerk," she said.
"And you married me," I pointed out.
Anna sighed, placing a hand to her temple and massaging for a moment, before shaking her head again. She surprised me by reaching out and pulling me towards her for a rough kiss, one I eagerly returned for a good few minutes, before pulling back.
"Hm. I think I could learn to like younger men," she chuckled.
And then we fucked.
I still didn't find out when her birthday was, though…
My breath misted in front of my face as I exhaled the scent of the mountains, hitching my heavy pack higher up my back. My jacket was open to display my vest and shirt, my cloak wrapped tightly around Anna as she grumbled behind me, a wide smile on my face.
"Ah, now this… this is the climate I was built for," I laughed.
Behind me, Anna sneezed, groaning as she suffered. Beside her, Cordelia and Robin both looked much the same: huddled under multiple layers. Ahead of me, Chrom and Vaike dressed the same way they always did, seemingly not bothered by the cold. The Shepherds were spread out along this lonely mountain trail, the high sun melting the ice and snow and making it far more treacherous than it would have been any other time of the year.
Normally, a mission like this wouldn't demand the full attention of the Shepherds. However, with the armies mustering to fight off Valm's invasion, the local patrol squads were depleted, so Chrom had agreed to take some of the missions while we waited for Plegia to pony-up their ships for us.
"If you think… I am moving to this… this… tundra!" Anna shivered, her voice shaking as she stomped along behind me. "You are… mistaken, mister!"
"I don't think I've seen him this happy since your wedding," Cordelia commented, her voice oddly nasal like she was blocked up.
"I'm just sorry I missed it," Robin said dejectedly.
I grinned back at the tactician, Robin briskly rubbing her hands together to try and bring some warmth back to them.
We'd picked Robin up in Southtown after Plegia's surrender, specifically so that I could retire with Anna. The white-haired woman had been all too eager to sign up, and was running the Shepherds like a well-oiled machine, far better than I ever would have.
And despite the fact that the temperature wasn't even in the negative, she was still suffering more than any of us. She was from a desert, though, even if she didn't remember it…
"Hey, slowpokes! Get a move on!" Vaike called from the top of the path, shirtless as ever.
"I hope he catches pneumonia," Robin growled.
We all laughed for a moment before going back to carefully picking our footing, ascending ever-higher up the mountain. We met Chrom and Vaike at the top, where our advance scouting force was waiting; Sumia and Lucina, the latter of whom was sitting astride Cordelia's pegasus, Palla. It had been Cordelia's idea, actually; letting Lucina borrow the pegasus to spend more time with her mother. Both women seemed to appreciate it, but that had left Cordelia schlepping up the side of the mountain with the rest of us grunts.
The small squad gathered at the top of the rise, a breathtaking view of the valley spreading out before us, gaining more than a few awed exclamations from the others. I moved over to Anna's side, pulling her close with my hand on her hip and a wide grin.
"Still not interested?" I asked lightly. "Even with this view?"
"Tempting," Anna smiled. "But there's far too many Risen for my liking."
I chuckled and rolled my eyes, releasing her as we turned to face the old fort, half-buried by an ancient landslide, that was our goal. Reports of Risen roaming the mountains had been increasing, and we had offered to go and see if we couldn't find the Chieftain attracting more of the mindless ones to curb the problem.
Well, I say 'we' offered, but really it had been a spectacular 'Chrom' moment.
Not that the hike was bothering me all that much, honestly. After nearly three years of being Anna's bitch and doing all the menial labor, deliveries and pretty much anything else she needed for the store, I was actually in pretty good shape. Anna, however, seemed to be struggling a little. She was still as slim as she'd always been, but had clearly let peacetime dull her edge.
"I am a merchant," she had muttered darkly when we set out on this trip. "We! We are merchants! Not soldiers! When I re-upped, I figured I'd be sorting supply trains and playing quartermaster, not… not… going on kill-quests!"
"All my foreign lingo has really rubbed off on you," I'd shot back, earning a withering glare.
Now, however, as she laced her fingers with mine and clasped my hand, turning back to look out over the scenery again with a gentle smile, I think she'd found the whole endeavor worth it.
"The view is nice, though," Anna said.
"Thinking about making postcards?" I asked.
"We'd make a killing," she said, flashing me her 'merchant grin'.
"We'd have to import cameras first," I reminded her.
"Details, details," she scoffed.
"And then come back to take the pictures," I added.
Anna paused, tapping her finger to her chin in thought.
"Maybe not worth it, then," she said.
Eventually, we turned away from the view, Anna retaining her death-grip on my hand. We followed along with the rest of the Shepherds as we approached the half-buried fortress, walking hand in hand and just enjoying each other's company.
I'd be the first to admit it, and Anna would be the first to back me up on it, but running the store in Ylisstol kept us busy. So busy, in fact, I'd actually been relieved when Chrom had asked us to rejoin the Shepherds for the Valm campaign. Anna had fussed over the store, very carefully instructing Elle on how to keep things running in our absence and promising her cousins would stop by every once and a while to check in and help out, but I could tell she was just as relieved as I was. Despite spending every day together, we rarely had any quality time together; our marriage was almost more of a work relationship that occasionally featured sex. Really, really good sex, now that we were acquainted with each other's bodies and weak spots, but there was still a lack of emotional intimacy.
Being on the road again meant we could finally just relax with each other. It was almost like we were dating, in a way. Taking our meals together, talking about the things we liked, the places we had seen, the places we wanted to see. Actually discussing our families and what we wanted from a family of our own. It felt weird doing this backwards, but, fortunately, it turned out we were fairly compatible.
Although, if she used that kicked puppy look to guilt me into rubbing her 'tired feet' one more damned time on this trip I was gonna introduce Ylisse to the concept of divorce… I didn't mind giving her massages, especially when she was usually more than happy to reciprocate, but doing so on a daily basis was a bit much. Oh, and Anna didn't rub my feet, like I did her. She gave one hell of a shoulder massage, though.
We followed along, hand in hand, at the back of the Shepherds as we approached the old fortress. Up close, it was admittedly a lot more intimidating that from a distance, and, as we approached the gates, Anna leaned to whisper to me.
"So which one is this?" she asked quietly.
"Morgan, Robin's kid," I whispered back.
"Aw! But she hasn't even gotten married yet!" Anna grinned.
"I know, it's gonna freak her the fuck out," I said.
We both snickered evilly until Robin and Cordelia actually looked back to us in curiosity, at which point we both schooled our faces into the picture of innocence.
"When you two start conspiring like that it usually costs one of us money," Robin deadpanned. "Cut it out."
Anna and I both made faux-shocked expressions, and I protectively pulled her to my side with a hand around her waist.
"Surely you would not begrudge a young married couple their secrets," Anna giggled.
"As long as I don't pay for them, sure," Robin said.
"Oh, Robin, you wound us!" I said melodramatically, before grinning. "Nothing's free, after all."
Anna shuddered against me, looking up at me with heavily lidded eyes.
"I love it when you get all merchantlike on people like that," she said, her voice husky.
"Mm, feeling frisky, are we?" I said with a small grin.
Anna slapped me on the ass, making me jump.
"Rawr," she grinned.
"Ugh. You two are so gross," Robin said, rolling her eyes.
Beside her Cordelia giggled a little, the two women turning back to the fortress.
"Hey, one day you'll both be married," I called after them. "And when you are, we are gonna give you just as much shit about PDAs as you give us!"
"I don't think they're listening anymore, dear," Anna chuckled.
"Story of my life," I sighed. "C'mon, let's go get front row seats to Robin's panic attack."
The interior of the fortress was in surprisingly good condition, all things considered. Sure, it was dirty and infested with Risen, but the Feroxi people obviously built their shit to last. Large, empty windows and cracks in the ceiling let plenty of light in, illuminating the space. A lot of it was buried or collapsed, so we couldn't go very far back through the main hall, but there was a side hall that did lead us to where the magic was supposed to happen. Sumia and Lucina had left the pegasai in the main hall, advancing with us on foot now as we crept into the flooded room.
Anna and I exchanged knowing grins, and I felt a profound sense of excitement for what was coming.
Aside from getting to know Anna a lot more, getting to watch the Shepherds freak right out as they met the second generation was the main reason I was so keen to join in the Valm campaign.
The flooded room was pretty much what I was expecting; dark, brackish water separating platforms connected by thin paths. Surprisingly well-lit, thanks to more large windows and even larger holes in the roof. It appeared to have once been a cathedral of some sort, if the arched roof was any indication, but to what deity I couldn't say. In the distance, across the cavernous space, I could see a pedestal with our prize, the artefact known as Naga's Tear, sitting on an altar. Of course, I wasn't so blind that I didn't see all the Risen between us and it.
And if mine eyes didn't deceive me, they'd spotted us, too.
"Ugh, of course," Robin groaned.
"Shepherds! Make ready!" Chrom ordered.
Cloaks were thrown off and tossed aside. I stripped my jacket off, standing now in just my vest and my shirt, sleeves rolled up to my elbows as I pulled the old leather gloves I'd gotten in Southtown on.
"Ben, Anna, I want you with me on the right flank," Robin ordered. "Chrom, take the others and push up the left. We'll meet at the artefact."
"Got it," the Exalt nodded. "You three be careful."
"You be fast, and we won't need to be careful," I scoffed, grinning.
Anna sighed, a hand massaging her brow as Chrom chuckled at my irreverence.
"Only you could get away with being so rude to one of our best customers," Anna groaned.
"Part of my charm," I shrugged. "C'mon, let's go kill us some-"
I was cut off by a large jet of flame shooting up from a concealed staircase, the familiar cries of dying Risen echoing around the chamber as the Shepherds all froze. There, on a platform to the right, a black-cloaked figure emerged. A young man with a shock of snow white hair, wielding a sword in one hand, blasting more fire magic from his other, calmly and methodically-
"Is that my coat?" Robin asked, aghast.
I just grinned, turning to mock Robin before Anna grabbed me and spun me back. I didn't get a chance to ask why, instead biting my tongue as a second figure charged up the stairs after him, spinning and twirling with a lance in some very familiar bo-staff forms…
A girl, about the same age as the boy, dressed similarly but wearing a beat up old red and yellow jerkin hanging open over her cream shirt. A girl with a very familiar mane of fiery red hair, trimmed to hang just above her shoulders.
"Oh my god…" I muttered, a grin slowly breaking out on my face.
"Lucina, go with them!" Chrom declared. "Save those two! Regroup at the far side!"
And then everyone was in motion. Lucina led the charge, the four of us pounding across what appeared to be the tops of thick stone walls on our way to the platform where Morgan and… Morgan? were apparently intent on having their last stand against a fairly nasty looking Risen horde.
It didn't take us long to close the gap, honestly. The Risen between us and the platform were fairly weak, and Lucina and Robin tore through them like tissue paper. When we got to the platform and the pair were finally slowed was when Anna and I darted around them, working our magic.
I struck hard and fast, kicking out knees and staggering Risen with every movement. Anna came behind me, slicing undead throats or running them through with her sword. It was a combination style that had served us well against bandits over the last two years, and at my insistence it was a combination style that we had worked hard to perfect. Even if it did cut into Anna's precious morning stock-take time.
With Anna and I suddenly hitting their flank, the Risen horde broke, and Robin and Lucina had no problem battering aside the last of the undead resistance.
"Well, that was fun," I said, taking a few deep breaths.
"I'm… getting to old for this…" Anna muttered darkly, panting.
Both Robin and Lucina were apparently set on ignoring us, moving instead to where the Morgans were watching us from the other side of the platform. I nudged Anna in the shoulder, and she straightened just as M!Morgan stepped up to Robin. Lucina hung back, watching with a conflicted expression.
"Mom?" M!Morgan asked. "What are you…?"
"Called it!" F!Morgan cheered. "I knew it worked! I told you we were back in the past!"
"So why don't I remember anything!?" M!Morgan asked, rounding on her.
"I told you, Daraen, it's probably got to do with the spell," F!Morgan sighed. "Even my recollection is kinda fuzzy."
"Uh… did you just call me 'mom'?" Robin asked.
Lucina stepped forward, clearing her throat awkwardly.
"Er… allow me to introduce… Daraen and Morgan," she said. "Daraen is your son, Lady Robin. And Morgan…"
"Hi mom! Hi dad!" she cheered, waving at Anna and I with a big smile.
"Is clearly ours, gotcha," I chuckled.
Anna froze for a moment, eyes wide as she repeated the name 'Morgan' under her breath uncertainly. I only had a moment to process this, though, before Morgan was squealing and hugging me so hard I was worried she was trying to crawl into my vest with me.
"Wellp. This day just got weirder," I said, patting Morgan on the back.
"You don't say," Robin said, glaring at me. "I'm not even married yet!"
"Wait, you don't know who my dad is?" Daraen asked, tilting his head a little in a very 'Robin' quirk.
"It gets weirder if you think about the fact that we're both wearing our moms' clothes," Morgan snickered, pointing at Daraen.
I snorted, and even Anna chuckled a little as Daraen blushed to his roots.
"Well, I think you like quite dashing in it," Robin huffed. "And, unlike me, you might actually grow into it."
"Aw, thanks, Mom," Daraen said with a wide smile.
There was a brief moment of silence, all of us still and unsure about how to proceed with these new events, before Morgan disengaged from me and with a shrill warcry latched onto Anna's middle.
My wife gave a startled yelp as Morgan laughed, mashing her face into Anna's shoulder.
"Mom I missed you so much!" Morgan said gleefully.
Anna's eyes were wide and her arms floating out away from the girl, until our gazes met and I quirked a brow at her. I mouthed 'go on' and nodded to the girl currently trying to crush her ribs, and Anna let out the breath she'd been holding and wrapped Morgan in a surprisingly tender hug.
I smiled as Robin placed an unsure hand on Daraen's shoulder, too, the lad giving a brave sniffle before flinging himself at his mother and burying his face in her coat. Lucina and I watched on in silence, occasionally looking up to make sure no Risen were getting ideas about sneaking up on us.
"So," I said conversationally as we waited. "You never mentioned anything about me having a daughter."
Lucina fidgeted awkwardly, looking everywhere but at me.
"You never asked," she said lamely.
Across from us, Anna finally managed to extract herself from Morgan's iron-clawed hug grip of doom, smiling at the giggling teenager in front of her.
"Morgan, sweetie, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Anna said.
"Sure, mom, what's up?" Morgan asked, tilting her head to one side.
"Why aren't you an Anna?" she asked seriously.
Morgan looked up at her mother for a moment before smiling widely and quirking her head.
"No idea," she chirped.
AN: Chapters three and four are much longer than these first two, I promise. There weren't really any good points to split this story up, so I had to improvise.
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